Didn’t R Kelly keep GA’s No Good Advice from getting to number 1?!

1 hour ago, Jester said:

Didn’t R Kelly keep GA’s No Good Advice from getting to number 1?!

Unforgivably yes!

12

Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love?

Score: 7/10

13/09/2003	The Black Eyed Peas	Where Is The Love?
Peak: 1 Chart run: {1}-1-1-1-1-1-3-4-4-5-8-17-29-44-56-65-54-61-71->19

The Black Eyed Peas had actually existed since 1995 but this marked the moment they transitioned from underground hip hop group to commercial megastars. The track became the biggest selling single of 2003.

It was also their first single with Fergie, and was co-written by and included uncredited vocals from Justin Timberlake, who had heard and liked will.i.am’s instrumental loop. The song was inspired by 9/11 induced anxiety rather than being about the Iraq war.

The Black Eyed Peas were certainly hit and miss in quality over their decade or so of hit making. This was a really strong breakthrough single though: it’s genuinely rousing and the message comes over sincerely without being forced or trite. I actually prefer the punchy follow up “Shut Up” and a few of their tracks from later in the decade. But although I don’t adore this I do think it largely deserved its success.

Not a huge fan of Where Is The Love, it's sort of fine but very average for me. I'd have much preferred White Flag to get to #1 and was quite disappointed when it got blocked.

Out of the others, I like the Elton one even if it feels like such an oddity of a #1 from this era. A good motown style track though.

Elton's collection of #1s is a wild ride. I'd rank 'Are You Ready For Love?' high up his list but agree that the verses out class the chorus.

What a juggernaut 'Where Is The Love?' was. I would've only just turned 6 but can remember that and 'White Flag' being ubiquitous. I would've also preferred Dido to triumph but there was far worse she could've been blocked by this year at least, 'Where Is The Love?' is fine. I also prefer SingStar classic 'Shut Up'.

Where Is The Love was huge at the time, sadly Dido stood no chance, but like others I would have much preferred if she got there.

Can't stand this one

Was never super huge on 'Ignition' anyway so don't need to comment on that really.

'Are You Ready For Love' is good though but I can see where the chorus doesn't do an awful lot of note.

'Where Is The Love?' would be in my top 5 of the year. Always really loved that and it's a good introduction to Fergie being in the group too. That said I do just as much love 'Shut Up' as well and would have liked that also to be a #1 over here!

Where Is The Love felt like one of the really huge hits of the year, there was a noticeable sales dip at the top in 2003 and most seemed to be coasting along on quite mediocre sales but this exploded. I remember it hit No.1 the week I started college - the song was everywhere. I like it but don't love it, much the way I feel about most Black Eyed Peas songs apart from Shut Up and Boom Boom Pow.

White Flag definitely was released the wrong week, Dido really deserved a No.1 with that and it was big enough to get there on many weeks, bad scheduling.

Ahhh some catching up!

Tbh I can’t say any are a real loss so far - Ignition would be a loss if released by a decent human being. Where Is The Love? was never a BEP essential for me. Always much preferred the more Fergie-featured Shut Up!

Black Eyed Peas did ballads/more serious songs well (like Meet Me Halfway), Where Is The Love is good.

Where is the Love would be top 10 for me, a real nostalgic favourite. I get that it's a little cheesy, but it's got a lot of heart to it which I think was needed given the context of the time. They recorded some utter dirge, but I've got a soft spot for most of their earlier stuff. I really enjoy Are You Ready for Love? too, had no idea there was a consensus of finding the chorus underwhelming, even as a kid, I was humming that x

Ignition remix is/was probably his big classic and I did enjoy it, but a hard listen these days and though I try to separate art from artist in most cases, hearing what he wants to do after the party given what we know now is...nah x

Got a big soft spot for Crashed the Wedding, it's ridiculous but very fun and was played a lot when I was younger. Make Luv I also remember from the time, but I don't hold as much fondness to it, it's quite repetitive and basic compared to other big dance hits this year.

11

Kylie Minogue - Slow

Score: 7/10

15/11/2003	Kylie Minogue	Slow
Peak: 1 Chart run: {1}-4-12-17-26-45-56-53-58-61->10

From the highest selling chart topper of the year we go straight to the lowest. Her 6th chart topper, although it was a low seller it did scrape the year end Top 75. It also went silver this year so it’s obviously reasonably well streamed for a hit of the time.

This was the lead from her ninth studio album “Body Language”. It’s an electropop song with quite a similar minimalist to “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”, that takes the sensuality even further. Kylie named it as her favourite song of her career and cited it as an inspiration for the recent “Tension” album.

I do think it’s a really great track and doesn’t sound like it dates from theearly ‘00s. If I have a criticism it’s maybe that I’d like to get a bit more from the vocals which are a bit one note, but maybe that’s deliberate.

The Top 10

Girls Aloud - Sound Of The Underground

David Sneddon - Stop Living The Lie

t.A.T.u - All The Things She Said

Christina Aguilera - Beautiful

Gareth Gates and the Kumars - Spirit In The Sky

Room 5 featuring Oliver Cheetham - Make Luv

Busted - You Said No

Tomcraft - Loneliness

R. Kelly - Ignition (Remix)

Evanescence - Bring Me To Life

Beyoncé featuring Jay Z - Crazy In Love

Daniel Bedingfield- Never Gonna Leave Your Side

Blu Cantrell featuring Sean Paul - Breathe

Elton John - Are You Ready For Love

The Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love?

Sugababes - Hole In The Head

Fatman Scoop featuring The Crooklyn Clan - Be Faithful

Kylie Minogue - Slow

Busted - Crashed The Wedding

Westlife - Mandy

Will Young - Leave Right Now

Ozzy Osbourne & Kelly Osbourne - Changes

Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules - Mad World

'Slow' while not an ultimate Kylie fave for me is still pretty good. The video is unique too lol.

I've always liked 'Slow' but in recent years it's really skyrocketed in my affections, what a gem. It was really quite brave of her to release something like this when she could've easily just done something in a similar vein to Fever after its mammoth success. It's one of many reasons I admire her so much.

I'd say we have quite a decent top 10 left!

Slow is definitely one of the best ones here, should be top 5 at least!

I love it a lot more now than I did at the time, it’s now one of her top tier songs for me

Slow - what a fantastic song.

Agreed with Aly, I did not expect Kylie to go the more sultry, slightly edgier direction with the Body Language album. She'd just come off her biggest era ever and could have done more of the same or a disco album, but this more brooding electro lead single was such a refreshing choice, and I'm glad it was a No.1 despite obviously on way lower sales than Can't Get You Out Of My head. It's such a hypnotic groove and I think the more restrained breathy vocal works so well on it. I'd have it in my top ten for sure.

At the time it peaked at No.3 in my personal chart but it's held up so much better than many Kylie songs that peaked higher for me.

A very solid top ten indeed, there is one song I never liked at all in there but I'd say eight of those left are still songs I play regularly and one more I do like too.

As a synth fiend I'm all over 'Slow' and would class it as my favourite Kylie song! Love that pulsating production and her sensual, breathy vocals.

The video suits the song so well too and she looks amazing. Dua Lipa's 'Illusion' recently reminded me of it as those visuals are filmed in the same location.

I was delighted to find out that 'Slow' was finally certified silver this year

I think it would be top 3 of 2003 minimum for me but the other two are still standing in your top 10, yay.

I think it was the Fat Boy Slim remix that gave Elton's oldie a boost? I'd liked a couple of Black Eyed Peas tracks prior to this, but Where Is The Love was a proper career-maker, and very welcome. I liked it more at the time than I do now, but it's very pleasant, and a pity Justin didnt get a credit as he's a big part of the appeal. I also would join the Dido bandwagon for number one, but I never begrudged this hitting the top - only that one or two weeks would have been enough! I much prefer later classics like Pump It, Boom Boom Pow, I Gotta Feeling and especially Rock That Body - that was always their best track, so yay it's had a revival.

Slow was a big disappointment for me at the time, after 3 years of peak Kylie it seemed a bit flat, other than the production. The minimal low-key vibe was prob ahead of its time, but the only track of this era I went big-ish on was the Scissor Sisters co-write I Believe In You.

Just a head's up there may be a week gap to 2004 posting as I'm off to Spain on Tuesday (airport strike permitting) so will be sorting 2004's from the following week!